Embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to scenario generation, and more particularly, to rapid generation of highly interactive, immersive training and mission rehearsal scenarios using proven technologies for war fighters and leaders on the job. The automation of such scenario creation, also known as scenario authoring, may enable new scenarios to be rapidly created for virtual and constructive simulations to ensure effectiveness, consistency, completeness and relevance of the scenarios. Currently such scenarios are created in a time-consuming manner, largely with the help of low-level authoring tools that require subject matter experts to import the scenario environment (maps), determine the organization of military units, the kinds of units, their formations, paths for unit movement, SOPs (standard operating procedures to take if an enemy is encountered), and enemy artificial intelligence.
As combat situations and enemy tactics evolve, training and mission rehearsal scenarios may become increasingly important. Conduct and synchronization of the Warfighter Functions are being pushed to lower echelons of responsibility than ever seen before. The pressures on company grade officers and their noncommissioned officers may be greatly increased as they are expected to pursue their assigned missions in the context of the Operational Environment (OE) of a controlling higher headquarters, which may be several echelons above their immediate command structure.
While taught to integrate maneuver considerations into their plans and execution, the requirements for mission success may mean that company grade leaders synchronize less familiar aspects of the mission (e.g., non-kinetic aspects). This growing requirement may place greater demands on officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs), who usually may have only attended basic leadership and occupational specialty training to fully understand what the higher commander requires for mission success.
Increased sophistication of the mission and mission command at the company echelon may place greater importance on the conduct of mission rehearsal, understanding of the mission and what tasks may be required by the higher commander. Existing approaches for training largely handcraft mission scenarios using any available authoring tools that are available for a targeted tactical simulation. Generally, each scenario may be adapted to a single existing tactical simulation rather than employing the best emerging technology. These mission scenarios are often constructed by contractor personnel incurring added expense and extending the time for the actual development of the scenario significantly.
The tools, techniques and skills required to create virtual and constructive simulation scenarios may be complex and very specific to the simulation tool used. For example, scenarios for the Army's desktop simulation/gaming tool, Virtual Battle Space 2®, or VBS2® for short, may be authored, edited and viewed only within VBS2®. Other simulations, such as TacOps® or Decisive Action® may be developed in the same manner.
Due to the nature of contracted projects, many times the simulation used for development may be restricted to an existing contract vehicle rather than using the simulation that best serves the military, or other, user. The existing approach often limits the ability to create and edit scenarios to military experts who may be proficient with military tactics and the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) sufficient to understand a commander's intent. In addition, they must also understand a particular tactical simulation's authoring tools.
As such, a need therefore exists to provide rapid scenario generation through automated natural language understanding that allows for a high degree of understanding of what is essential and the nuances required by the commander for mission success. A set of tools, as described in the present disclosure, enables these junior leaders to better prepare themselves for their expanded responsibility and allows them to achieve a higher degree of understanding of what is essential and the nuances required by the commander for mission success.